Glasgow Rangers are now turning their attention to signing a defender or two before the summer transfer window closes in just a few weeks.
Michael Beale has already made nine new signings so far, yet just two of them are defenders and given the major mix-up in the box that led to Kilmarnock scoring the winner during the opening 2023/24 Premiership fixture, this area is now a priority.
A recent update has emerged in their pursuit of a defender, with Beale diverting his attention to the English Championship…
Who could Rangers sign this summer?
The Gers showed interest in Jake Cooper back in January and they have kept tabs on him since 2018, when Steven Gerrard was in charge, suggesting that Beale knows the Millwall star rather well.
A fresh update from Football Insider has now claimed that Beale has now ‘set his sights’ on securing his signature before the end of the window.
Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…
The Englishman is heading into the final year of his current contract at the club and thus could potentially be lured north of the border for an affordable fee.
Could Jake Cooper improve Rangers?
Beale has five centre-backs to choose from, yet Ben Davies may not have a future at Ibrox.
The former Liverpool defender has been told that he is free to depart the Light Blues following just a year at the club.
2022/23 wasn’t exactly the season Davies had in mind upon joining the Gers last summer, as he ranked way down in 14th position across the squad for overall Sofascore match rating in the Premiership (6.94) while he ranked seventh for interceptions (0.8) and third for clearances (two) per game, failing to have the desired outcome that Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale expected.
Cooper, in comparison, ranked sixth in the Millwall squad for overall match rating, while also ranking fifth for interceptions (1.2) and first for clearances (3.1) per game, clearly suggesting that he could be an improvement on Davies this season.
It wasn’t just his defensive ability which has obviously caught Beale’s eye over the previous few months, but the fact he can also chip in with the odd goal and assist too.
Indeed, last term, Cooper registered six goal contributions – three goals and three assists – and during his spell in the Championship with the club, there has only been one season out of six where he has failed to score three goals.
It’s no wonder he was lauded as a “threat” by Paul Heckingbottom in 2022. Davies on the other hand, registered just one assist across 38 matches, failing to provide the same attacking threat as Cooper throughout the season.
The £10k-per-week centre-back may not be the marquee name that the supporters will want to see arrive at Ibrox in the coming weeks, yet he offers not only a wonderful defensive acumen but is also capable of posing as something of a weapon at set pieces.
Beale obviously knows all about him and with the opportunity to secure his signature on the cheap, it could be a smart investment by the 42-year-old.
